A Florida woman who tried to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband or sell him into sex slavery so she could regain custody of their three kids has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime.

Rachael Leahy, 35, pleaded no contest last month to a charge of criminal solicitation to commit murder.

In court on Monday, she apologized for her actions as she tried to convince Judge Deno Economou to give her a light sentence.

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Rachael Leahy, 35 (pictured), cried in court on Monday as she was sentenced to 20 years in prison

Leahy pleaded no contest last month to trying to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband David, 60 (pictured above testifying in court during the trial)

Leahy apologized for her actions in an attempt to get a lighter sentence. Her ex-husband has full custody of their now 11, 9 and 7-year-old children. Leady pictured with two of her kids above

'I am so sorry to my kids. I am so sorry to this court,. I am so sorry to God and I want to apologize also to my ex-husband,' she said.

'I would not do this over again. I don’t know what I was thinking at that time. I was not in my right mind, but I wouldn’t do it again. I wish I never thought that way…I wish I could take it all back,' she added.

Her attorney said she felt like a victim and thought that killing her ex was the only way to get her kids back.

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But after Leahy's ex David, 60, took to the stand and described how she allegedly abused the kids before and after they broke up, the judge decided to sentence Leahy to 20 years in prison, plus three years of parole.

Mr Leahy says that since he and his kids - who are now 11, 9 and 7 - learned of the plot, they've become paranoid.

'We changed all the locks in the doors. We got security cameras all over the house,' he said.

Prosecutors showed video during the trial showing Leahy speaking to an undercover cop she believed to be a hitman

She even joked about how she would be fine with her husband being sold into sex slavery

During the trial, prosecutors showed video in which Leahy spoke with an undercover cop she believed to be a hitman in August 2016.

Leahy was arrested after she paid the undercover cop $2,500 for the job in August

In the video, she said that she wanted her husband killed and promised to pay the hitman $2,500 upfront and another $2,500 once she got an insurance pay out from his death.

Leahy reportedly met with the undercover cop three times in person and had a dozen phone calls. The cop reportedly gave Leahy several chances to renege on her request to have her ex killed, but she did not relent.

'I know it’s an absolute extreme. I’m not this sort of person but listen, I’ve been through hell…There is no other resolution than for him to be gone completely,' she said in the video.

She even joked about how she would be fine with her husband being sold into sex slavery.

'I have all kinds of thoughts, like it would be great if somebody could, a group of people all in black and hoods and stuff would just throw him in a van and take him overseas and make them their man b****...for the rest of their life,' Leahy said.

Leahy's attorney said that she suffered from PTSD and other mental illnesses because of abuse suffered as a child. Above, Leahy and her ex

During the trial, her attorney said that she suffers from PTSD and other mental illnesses from being abused as a child.

David Leahy, who Rachael tried to get whacked, was the first to testify during the trial and said that their marriage was good for the first year but then got 'rockier and rockier' as time went on.

It was also during their marriage that he first learned of how she was abusing their kids.

'She would tie them up with zip ties, lock them to their bed, lock them in closets. This was while I was away at work,' he said.

Mr Leahy says that after they decided to get a divorce, when they had joint custody, he learned that she was 'still tying them up' and 'locking them in the garage'.

Eventually a family court judge decided to grant Mr. Leahy full custody.